The Prognostic Value of Right Ventricular Function in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure-A Prospective Study.

Background: In patients with stable chronic heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) provides limited prognostic value, especially in patients with moderately to severely reduced LVEF. Echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular function may be associated with adverse clinical events in these patients. Therefore, we analyzed 164 patients with HFrEF in a prospective single-center cohort study to evaluate whether the parameters of right ventricular function are associated with worsening heart failure (WHF) hospitalizations, cardiovascular and all-cause deaths and combined endpoints. Methods: Echocardiographic cine loops were analyzed using vendor-independent post-processing software. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed, which were then adjusted for clinical characteristics and left ventricular functional parameters. Results: In these models, higher tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was significantly associated with lower rates of WHF hospitalizations (HR 0.880, 95%CI 0.800-0.968, p = 0.008), a composite endpoint of WHF hospitalizations and cardiovascular death (HR 0.878, 95%CI 0.800-0.964, p = 0.006), and a composite endpoint of WHF hospitalization and all-cause death (HR 0.918, 95%CI 0.853-0.988, p = 0.023). These associations were more pronounced in patients with LVEF ≤ 35%. Conclusions: In conclusion, in patients with HFrEF, TAPSE is an independent prognosticator for adverse clinical outcomes, warranting further studies to elucidate whether incorporating TAPSE into established risk scores improves their diagnostic accuracy.

Prevalence and prognostic impact of bone disease in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

AIMS: Chronic heart failure is associated with a bone-catabolic state and increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Prospective studies investigating the clinical relevance of bone disease in heart failure are lacking. We aimed to assess the prevalence and prognostic impact of osteoporosis and vertebral fractures (VFs) in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Symptomatic outpatients with chronic heart failure and a previous diagnosis of overtly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction < 40% on stable, optimal HFrEF therapy and left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% at enrolment were included into a prospective single-centre study. Osteoporosis was determined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and defined as a T-score ≤ 2.5 at any site. VFs were assessed using X-ray of both thoracic and lumbar spine applying the semiquantitative Genant score. We enrolled 205 patients (22% women), with a median age of 66 (IQR 58-74) years. Median left ventricular ejection fraction was 37 (IQR 30-43) % and median N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide was 964 (IQR 363-2173) pg/mL. Osteoporosis, as defined by bone mineral density, and at least one VF were prevalent in 31 (15%) and 29 patients (14%). Osteoporosis or VF were present in 55 patients (27%) and 5 patients (2%) had both osteoporosis and a VF. During a median follow-up of 4.7 (IQR 4.0-5.3) years, 18 patients (9%) died due to cardiovascular (CV) cause, and 46 patients (22%) had a worsening heart failure (WHF) hospitalization. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, presence of VF independently predicted CV death (HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.04-7.65, P = 0.042), WHF hospitalizations (HR 2.39, 95% CI 1.18-4.82, P = 0.015), and a composite endpoint of CV death and WHF hospitalizations (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.23-4.82, P = 0.011). Osteoporosis was not significantly associated with CV events. CONCLUSIONS: In a prospective study, bone disease affected every fourth patient with HFrEF, and patients with VF at baseline had a two-fold risk of subsequent CV death or WHF hospitalization. Prevalent bone disease, particularly VF, should be considered as a clinically relevant comorbidity in HFrEF.

Myocardial Deformation Analysis in MYBPC3 and MYH7 Related Sarcomeric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-The Graz Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry.

Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) carrying MYH7 mutations may have a worse prognosis than MYBPC3 mutation carriers. Myocardial deformation analysis is superior to standard echocardiography in detecting subtle myocardial dysfunction and scar formation, but studies evaluating the association with HCM genotype are scarce. We therefore aimed to compare myocardial strain parameters between MYBPC3 and MYH7 mutation carriers with proven HCM. Participants of the prospective Graz HCM Registry carrying at least one causative mutation in MYBPC3 (n = 39) or MYH7 (n = 18) were enrolled. MYBPC3 mutation carriers were older, predominantly male and more often treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (39% vs. 0%; p = 0.002). Using analyses of covariance, there were no significant differences between MYBPC3 and MYH7 mutation carriers with regard to left ventricular global longitudinal strain (estimated marginal means ± standard deviation: -16.9 ± 0.6% vs. -17.3 ± 0.9%; p = 0.807) and right ventricular 6-segments endocardial strain (-24.3 ± 1.0% vs. 26.3 ± 1.5%; p = 0.285). Our study suggests, that myocardial deformation analysis may not be helpful in concluding on the underlying HCM genotype, and vice versa.